


The Adventure of the Mysterious Doctor

by maartiinkaa



Category: Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms, Sherlock Holmes - Arthur Conan Doyle
Genre: Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Based on The Adventure of the Second Stain by ACD, First Kiss, Fluff, John Has a Beard, M/M, Secret Services
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-18
Updated: 2019-02-18
Packaged: 2019-10-30 22:38:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,572
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17837330
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/maartiinkaa/pseuds/maartiinkaa
Summary: Sherlock is assigned to an important case by Mycroft. He meets an interesting but suspicious person during the job.





	The Adventure of the Mysterious Doctor

**Author's Note:**

> The prompt for the fic was The Secret Services. The story is based on a canon tale by Arthur Conan Doyle - The Adventure of the Second Stain.
> 
> A big thanks to my amazing beta [sherlockandjohn2010](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sherlockandjohn2010) who always makes sure my English sounds good.
> 
> Enjoy!

He hates him. He hated him even when they were kids. Mycroft always acted like he was smarter than Sherlock. He’s standing in his flat and demanding that he goes somewhere with him. He interrupted him during an experiment; he’ll have to throw all these nails away and ask Molly for some new ones. 

‘Come on, Sherlock! I need you. Put your clothes on!’

‘You need me? I thought you didn’t need anyone. You’re the clever one.’

Mycroft rolls his eyes, ‘I promise you’ll like it.’

‘And your men aren’t able to solve it? Even you can’t?’

‘Shut up and come with me!’ 

‘Okay, okay. You’re lucky I haven’t had a proper case for ages.’

‘I’ve heard Greg brought you a few cold ones.’

‘Who’s Greg?’

‘Detective Inspector Lestrade, but you are aware of his name. Don’t forget I know you very well, brother mine.’

‘He talks to you about his cases?’

‘Of course, he does. When we are...’

‘Christ! Stop! I don’t want to know anything. Let’s go!’

‘I hope you’ll take some clothes!’

‘No, I won’t. If you want me to go, just stop speaking.’

Mycroft sighs; it’s always difficult with Sherlock. He’s so stubborn and rude to people, even to Greg. They had originally met in Sherlock’s apartment when Mycroft was visiting and Lestrade come by with a case. 

‘If you have a problem with two men having a relationship...’

‘I no longer want to speak about your… about whatever it is with Lestrade.’

Mycroft decides to keep quiet; he needs Sherlock sharp. This case might be really significant for his career, that’s why he is terrified Sherlock’s got only the sheet on. He doesn’t want to ask if he has something underneath it.

 

They arrive at a government building, Mycroft shows his ID and the guards let them in. As they take an elevator to the 7th floor, Sherlock is observing everything around them.

Before they enter one of the rooms, Sherlock catches a glimpse of someone. It’s a man walking down the corridor. Sherlock is convinced the man was looking at them but trying to hide that. It’s suspicious.

Mycroft introduces him to Mr. Hope, a secretary for the defence. He is an older man but his grip is still steady. He tells Sherlock everything about how he lost a very important document. He always put it into a document box and took it with him to his house every evening. But he had found the box empty.

‘I don’t know how it could happen. I was home alone, Mr. Holmes. No one there knew I had it with me.’

‘Who lives with you, Mr. Hope?’

‘Only my daughter, Hilda, and our maid. My wife died five years ago. But the maid was free that evening, and my daughter was with her friends in the theatre when it happened, two days ago.’

‘You still haven’t told me what document we are talking about.’

‘I’m not allowed to tell you more, but if the document got to the wrong people, it could be dangerous for our country.’

‘Did anyone else know about the document?’

‘My three colleagues. I can write down their names for you.’

‘Now I have everything what I need. I’ll stay in touch.’

‘Do you think you can help us?’

‘I’d say this is a very bad situation. Maybe you should prepare for the option I won’t find it, but I’ll do my best.’

Sherlock’s out of the office before the minister can say goodbye.

‘Who was that man?’

‘I don’t know who you’re talking about.’

‘He was in the corridor before; small, blond hair, doctor’s uniform. He has a limp.’

‘Oh, it was probably Doctor Bellinger. Why?’

‘It’s nothing, he just looked familiar. I’m probably wrong.’

 

And then, he’s there again. He’s approaching them. Even from the other end of this long hall, he notices his beautiful blue eyes and soft hair. The man has an impressive beard, Sherlock isn’t quite sure how he feels about it.

‘This is Mr. Sherlock Holmes, he’s my brother. He’s visiting one of my colleagues and helping with an important… issue.’

Sherlock laughs inside. The man seems to notice that. He’s good. Sherlock should be more careful around him.

‘And this is Doctor John Bellinger.’

‘Nice to meet you, Mr. Holmes.’

Nice indeed. ‘Yes, yes. I’m going home, Mycroft.’

‘I apologise for him. He often has problems with his behaviour.’

‘I think it’s very common in our family, Brother. Goodbye.’

Mycroft says his goodbyes and turns to leave. But Sherlock is rooted to the spot. He’s drowning in those gorgeous eyes. He doesn’t know what to say or how to act, but John saves him.

‘Talking to the politicians isn’t easy, right?’

‘Exactly. They are so boring.’

He grins and Sherlock heart skips a beat.

‘May I ask a question?’ Sherlock nods. ‘Are you wearing anything under the sheet?’

He feels so awkward suddenly. But he finds he can’t lie to him, ‘No’, he immediately turns red.

At first the doctor tenses a little, but then he starts laughing. And Sherlock joins him. He feels so relieved even though he doesn’t know why.

‘I’m sorry I have to go.’

‘It was a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Holmes. Maybe I’ll see you again!’

And then he’s gone. Sherlock misses his presence, but then he tells himself how stupid that is. He hails a cab and spends the whole ride home imagining the doctor’s smile in his mind palace.

He turns his computer on as soon as he arrives back home. He needs to know everything about him. He isn’t sure what’s happening to him. He should pay attention to the document disappearance, but he seems not to be able to push the doctor out of his mind. 

Something was wrong with him. Of course, there is the fact that John is a very good-looking man with bright eyes and a charming smile, but Sherlock is certain there is more. He needs to speak with Mycroft! But first, he tries to search for some information by himself. He finds three men named John Bellinger, but none of them is the hot guy who Sherlock met an hour ago.

He isn’t particularly fond of the idea; however, he dials his brother’s number. He seems so distant when he asks about the doctor. But he does that constantly. He tells Sherlock he should concentrate on something else and more important. Doctor Bellinger has nothing to do with it. He personally checked everything about him and there is nothing bad with his past. Sherlock ends the conversation.

Suddenly, Mrs. Hudson appears in the flat, and she’s not alone. The young lady with her looks both scared and determined.

‘How can I help you, Miss...?’

‘I’m Miss Hilda Hope. I think you talked to my father earlier this day.’

‘Maybe I did. But can you tell me why are you here?’

‘Please, promise me you won’t say anything to my dad, I don’t want to worry him. I need to know why he spoke with you? Wait… don’t say anything. He lost something important, am I right?’

‘I cannot help you, Madam. I’m not at liberty to talk to anyone about my cases.’

‘I understand. The only thing I need to know is how bad it would be if you didn’t find the lost object. Please tell me!’

‘I can only say it could cause some big problems for our country. Why are you asking me all of this?’

‘Thank you, Mr. Holmes. That’s everything I need to know. And once again, please don’t tell my dad about my visit.’ And then she disappears. 

Sherlock focuses on the case; there are three possible men who know what to do with those kinds of documents; he’ll talk to them tomorrow.

The next day, he visits Scotland Yard. Maybe Lestrade can help him locate those three men.

‘You haven’t read the newspapers?’

‘Not yet, why?’

‘I know where you man Lucas is. But I’m afraid you won’t be able to speak with him. He’s dead. Murdered three days ago. I’ve already solved the case.’

‘I’d like to see the crime scene.’

‘Yes, why not.’

Sherlock can’t resist and asks Greg if he knows anything about Doctor Bellinger. But he doesn’t have much information about the mysterious man. 

‘I think Mycroft was talking about him once during dinner. He told me the previous doctor had to move, so they hired a new one. I remember something about him serving in Afghanistan. Then everything else got blurry when Myc licked my ear.’

‘Oh no!! I don’t want to know anything about what you and my brother do at home. It makes me feel sick.’

‘Well, I suppose you should get used to it. I’m going to propose to him.’

‘Good luck, then.’

‘Do you think he might say “No”?’

‘That’s not what I meant. You’ll need luck if you expect to put up with my horrible brother!’

Lestrade shows him the crime scene. Obviously, the body is not present, but he can see a big blood stain on a carpet. Greg explains to him where they found the body and how he arrested the victim’s wife.

‘She confessed to everything. She said she came home and a young lady was talking with her husband. She thought the lady was his mistress and got jealous. They got into a fight and the young lady ran away. Mrs. Lucas was still mad, so she hit him with a vase and killed him. I know it’s boring for you, but I have something that could interest you. Can you see this blood stain? Well, the body was found here, not on the place where the stain is. We took the carpet away and look what we found there.’

There was a second stain on the floor, and to Sherlock’s delight the stains have the same shape. He smiles. ‘Who was on duty here?’

‘Evans. Why?’

‘Ask him what happened here this morning.’

Once Lestrade has gone to interview the poor constable, Sherlock quickly removes the carpet and tries to look for the hiding place. He finally finds it, but it’s empty. He is able to return everything to its position right before Lestrade comes back with Evans.

‘Tell Mr. Holmes what you’ve just said to me.’

‘A young lady came here this morning, she was walking around and we started chatting. She wanted to see the room, because she read about the murder in the newspapers. I didn’t see a problem with it, she was polite and didn’t seem dangerous, so I took her inside. She saw the blood stain and fainted. I ran to a pub around the corner for a little brandy and when I came back, she was gone.’

‘Okay, Evans. I can excuse it this time because nothing got taken. But please, no civilians at crime scenes!’

‘See Sherlock, this one was quite simple. Nothing for you to do. I know you have a more interesting case right now. Myc hasn’t told me everything yet, but I can see from his behaviour that he’s nervous, and he mostly isn’t like that. It must be very important.’

‘I think his problem will end soon. I have to visit one person and everything will be clear.’

‘Have you solved it?’

‘I think I have.’

Mycroft wants to go with Sherlock, because another pair of ears could be useful, but he is busy, so he sends Doctor Bellinger instead. His shift has just ended, and he’s free for the afternoon. The thought of spending time with him is making Sherlock nervous.

‘It appears you’d do anything for my dear brother.’

‘Definitely not anything, but he doesn’t see a reason to not trust me, and I assume he can’t send another politician with you. Something’s telling me this is a secret mission, right? And I’m just the doctor.’

‘You’re quite right. But I would have thought you’d have better things to do.’

‘Actually, I don’t. I’m mostly closed in my tiny flat and nothing happens to me. I’ve welcomed this opportunity. Could it be dangerous?’

‘I don’t think so.’

‘I’m glad I can go with you anyway.’

Sherlock is so distracted by John’s beard and his proximity in the cab, he doesn’t know what to say anymore; he just keeps watching out of the window. Fortunately, they arrive at the mansion which belongs to Hope’s family. Miss Hope is the only person there, and that’s exactly what they need.

‘This is Dr. John Bellinger. He works with your father. I’d like someone to hear your story with me.’

‘I don’t know what you want to hear from me. I have nothing to say to you.’  
Sherlock feels on edge because John is sitting right next to him. Their arms are almost touching.

‘Please, don’t make this worse, I want to solve this quietly. We can still do something about it, but if you’re not honest with me, I’ll have to share my conclusions with your father.’  
John feels he has to second Sherlock’s words. He looks at him, shifts a little which causes their hands touch slightly, and then turns his attention back to the young lady. Sherlock shivers and almost falls from the sofa. 

‘You can believe us, Miss Hope. Or, may I call you Hilda?’ She nods. ‘Okay… Your father is a very honest man, I know him from my work, and he lost something very important. Can you imagine what all of that could cause? I believe you are smart. Mr. Holmes and I can promise you that no one except the three of us will find out the truth.’

Sherlock is more than impressed.

‘Well, I’ll have to tell my annoying brother. But the secret will be safe with him.’

‘Okay, then. Could you guarantee no one but you and your brother will find out the truth?’

Sherlock nods and John smiles to encourage her, which makes the great detective incredibly jealous.

‘I met poor Mr. Lucas at one of the parties around the town. We were talking, he was very nice to me. My friends warned me because, like they said, he wasn’t a good man. But I fancied him a lot. I wrote him a few love letters. He never wrote me back, and soon became quite cold towards me. I was desperate; however, when I found out he had a wife, I got angry and tried to forget him.’

‘When did he confront you again?’

‘It was last week. I was walking in the park and suddenly he was there. He told me he had all my letters, and he would show them to my father if I didn’t do something for him.’

‘He wanted the document.’

‘Exactly. I couldn’t admit that relationship to my dad. That day, I pretended I went out with my friends, stole the document and gave it to Mr. Lucas.’

‘The interesting thing is he died because of your presence there. Anyway, the morning after your visit to my flat, you went back to his house, faked the nausea and got the document back. Am I right?’

‘That’s exactly what happened.’

John feels quite left out and tries to get into the conversation, ‘Everything will be okay, Miss. Don’t worry. Sherlock and I… sorry, Mr. Holmes and I will make it alright. Where is the document now?’

‘I’ll bring it to you. Wait a second.’ She leaves them alone.

‘That speech was good.’

‘Have I impressed the great Sherlock Holmes?’

‘You have It doesn’t happen a lot.’

‘I can imagine.’

Sherlock feels he’s getting red. Fortunately (or not?), Miss Hope is back with the list.

‘Thank you for everything. I’m actually quite happy it’s ended this way.’

‘I think you’ve learned from this. Goodbye, Miss Hope.’

‘What’s our next step?’ John asks when they’re back in the car.

‘Ours?’

‘I thought I was helping you.’

‘Mycroft probably assumed I would be disrespectful, so he sent a babysitter with me.’

John isn’t amused, ‘Oh, that’s what I was?’

‘Theoretically, yes, but you did well back there.’

‘Thank you?’

‘The next step is to return the document back to where it belongs, without Mr. Hope noticing. I’m afraid that will involve talking to my brother.’

‘Are you going to him right now?’

‘Yes, I want this to be over. Will you join me?’

‘I’m sorry, I have a lot of paperwork in my office. But I’d like to accompany you when you tell Mr. Hope.’

‘I suppose we can arrange that. See you later, Doctor!’

‘It was nice to work with you, Mr. Holmes.’

‘Sherlock, please.’

‘Then call me John.’

Sherlock has never been good with relationships; they involve talking and caring about others. Awful. But he finds himself enjoying John’s company a lot. And that beard does things to him.

He arrives to His Highness office.

‘Have you solved it?’

‘Of course. Here it is.’

‘I never doubted you, Brother Mine. Can you tell me the story behind everything?’

.....

‘So, you’re suggesting to put the thing back in the box without telling Mr. Hope.’

‘I did promise that.’

‘I can send someone to put it there. He left a few minutes before you came back.’

‘That’s it, I guess. When are you planning to reveal it to him?’

‘Come tomorrow. I want you to take the credit.’

‘How generous! You seem to be in a good mood. If I could deduce you, I’d say Lestrade proposed to you?’

’Your deduction skills have been always good. Not as good as mine though.’

Sherlock thinks he should probably keep to himself that Greg actually had told him about his intentions.

‘Congratulations, I guess.’

‘Thank you. Tomorrow then.’

The day after, Sherlock enters Mycroft’s office, and they’re already waiting for him. His brother, Mr. Hope, and also John. He was thinking about him almost the whole night, he couldn’t wait to see him again. It was all ridiculous. Although something was different. He focuses on John’s face; he can see his deep blue eyes, his soft hair, thin mouth (which he would love to taste), and the beard...Wait? Where’s the beard? Mycroft coughs, he comes back to reality and sits down.

John leans to him and whispers to ask if everything is okay.

‘You’ve shaved.’ Sherlock answers almost inaudibly and John laughs, but immediately realises they’re not alone and stops.

‘You liked that? Everyone said it made me look older.’

‘It was… quite… good. I mean. It didn’t make you older at all.’

‘Maybe you two should save that for later. We have a very crucial case here if you haven’t noticed.’

Mr. Hope is on the edge of his chair. ‘Did you find it? You brother told me you knew something.’

‘I did a lot of research, Mr. Hope, but I’m sorry to say I wasn’t able to locate it.’

‘This isn’t good. I genuinely believed you had better news.’ He turns to Mycroft; he’s terrified. ‘What are we going to do? You know what could follow. You don’t seem to be too bothered.’

‘If my brother can’t find that, no one can. Did you look in the box properly? It may have gotten lost amongst another papers.’

‘I’ve searched it properly!’

John has been quiet until now, ‘Mr. Hope, bring the box here, give it one more try!’

The gentleman leaves to go to his office and comes back with his document box. He opens it and goes through all of the sections again. ‘Oh my goodness!! I can’t believe it. It’s right here. Look!’

Sherlock and John smile at him; Mycroft keeps his expressionless face.

‘I’m so relieved. Thank you, Mr. Holmes. I don’t know how you did it and why you didn’t tell me but everything is okay. It’s safe and that’s all that actually matters.’

The Holmes brothers look over everything without a word. 

‘You can always rely on Sherlock Holmes. I’ve known him for only a few days, but I can tell you he’s a genius.’

Sherlock can’t believe his ears. He tries to hide his blushing. Fortunately, John doesn’t notice, but Mycroft does. He always does, but he says nothing.

‘Once again, gentlemen, I’m very grateful to all of you.’ With these words, Mr. Hope stands and disappears into his office.

‘I guess this is it. You’ve saved the country again, Sherlock. But before you leave, we have something else to tell you.’

John moves restlessly, Sherlock sees that, but Mycroft continues talking.

‘John Bellinger is a false name. And he isn’t a doctor here, he works for me. You deserve to know the truth, and if I’m right, you had a suspicion anyway.’

Sherlock is stunned, ‘So… you lied to me?’

‘Sherlock...’

‘Shut up, Mycroft! I’m not talking to you. Was everything a lie then? About how brilliant I am and how you enjoy working with me? Is your name John at all?’

John wants to answer but Sherlock stops him.

‘I don’t want to hear anything more.’ He has to get away from this place. He feels betrayed. He thought John was different to the others and now he isn’t even sure if his actual name is John.

Back at Baker Street, he lies on the sofa and tries to forget about everything that has happened during last week. How could he believe him? He thought they may have been friends. Sherlock would even consider something more, but that wasn’t the point. Even though he deduced John, or whatever his name is, was bisexual, he couldn’t possibly have an interest in him. 

He isn’t sure how many days he stays lying on that sofa without moving or eating a thing. One morning (or is it an afternoon?) his phones rings. It’s Mycroft. He doesn’t want to speak with him, but he’s persistent. Sherlock answers the call simply because if he doesn’t, his brother would come here. That would be much worse.

‘What do you want?’

‘I know I messed up. I was always trying to convince you that a relationship would be bad for you. But I’ve changed my mind a lot since I met Greg, and –’ 

‘I really don’t want to hear that again.’

‘Well, you needn’t hear it. But here is the thing; Doctor Watson was very disappointed by your quick escape. He asked for your address. I tried to save him from another letdown, but he was very convincing.’

‘Does that mean you gave him the address?’

‘I did. And I hope you’ll be smarter this time – he seems to be fond of you. Remember, brother mine, caring could sometimes be a big advantage.’

He hangs up and Sherlock starts panicking. Is John coming here? What does he want from me? Mocking me, or does he really care about me? He isn’t quite sure why, but when he catches his image in a mirror, he decides to make himself looking good for his guest. After he showers, he dresses in a black shirt with his suit and fixes his curls. Another look into the mirror; he’s more satisfied now. 

After a few long minutes where Sherlock doesn’t know where to position himself, he hears two voices downstairs. It’s Mrs. Hudson and the second one is… John. Then there are the steps and a soft knock on the door. 

Sherlock keeps standing in the middle of his sitting room. ‘Come in, the door is open.’

‘Hello Mr. Holmes… I mean Sherlock. I suppose your brother told you about my possible visit?’

’He did.’

Sherlock suddenly doesn’t know what to do with his eyes or his hands. John is standing in front of him and smiling. This is not good at all.

‘Tea?’

‘That would be lovely. Thank you. May I sit down here?’

‘Oh yes, I’m sorry. You can take that chair, the other one is mine. Bad. Sorry... Of course, you can take the other one if you prefer.’

Too much talking. Everything is wrong. But when he comes back with two cups of tea, John is still there, sitting in the red chair and waiting for him patiently. Sherlock sits and wonders if his hands are shaking too much. 

‘Sherlock, I’ve come here to apologise and explain everything...’

‘You don’t need to. I know I have no right to demand the truth from you, your work is secret.’  
‘But I want to tell you. Could you listen to me for a while, please?’

Sherlock agrees and John continues. He talks in a very soft voice trying not to scare the other man.

‘You know, when I came back from Afghanistan, I had no friends and no job. The army pension was so low, I needed money. No one was looking for a doctor. One day, I met a soldier I took care of back in the army. He told me about the work for the government he was doing. He gave me a contact number, so I tried it. I had nothing to lose. And they assigned me to Mycroft. I’ve been his eyes and ears.’

‘Poor you, my brother is horrible.’

‘He can be very unpleasant, yes. Although I heard him talking about you a few times, and I’m sure he loves you and cares about you a lot.’

‘I don’t think so. But anyway, I appreciate you made everything clear to me.’

‘And my real name is Watson. John Watson.’

‘Pleased to meet you, John!’

‘The pleasure is mine.’

‘You told me earlier you lived alone. I can’t believe there is no Mrs. Watson.’ Sherlock is getting into a very dangerous area, but he isn’t able to stop himself.

‘I had several girlfriends and boyfriends before Afghanistan but not since my deployment.’

‘So, you had boyfriends?’

‘Actually, two. Is that a problem for you?’

‘No, no. It’s fine. Actually, more than fine!’

Sherlock is talking too much. He doesn’t dare to look at John and pretends to examine something very interesting on the carpet. That’s why he doesn’t see John moving and sitting before him on the floor. He puts his hand on Sherlock’s knee. Sherlock is startled and keeps checking the floor.

‘Is it really fine?’

‘What? You mean having a boyfriend? Of course,… it is fine.’

‘Would you like to have one?’

‘It depends on the person.’

John smirks and shifts his hand a little bit higher. He leans closer and whispers into Sherlock’s ear. ‘What would you think about an old army doctor?’

Sherlock finally looks into his eyes. He doesn’t need his deduction skills to recognize an attraction in them. He clears his throat. ‘I’d love that. A lot.’

John stands up and brings his face inches from Sherlock’s. After a few seconds, where they just share their breaths, he finally kisses him. It’s a slight touch of the lips at first but soon it becomes something more.

When John pulls away, because he needs some air, Sherlock lets go reluctantly and whimpers, ‘Hmmm.’

‘What it is?’

‘You’re growing your beard back.’

‘I remember someone told me he liked that.’

‘I see. And did they tell you how your beard makes them feel?’

‘No. Maybe, they could show me.’

‘I’d happily oblige, but promise me one thing? Stop working for Mycroft. It’s already under his supervision enough, I couldn’t bear any more. I believe you’ll be able to find a different job.’

‘I promise. I bet I’ll have enough adrenaline with you.’

‘It could be arranged. Kiss me again?’

‘Oh god, yes!’


End file.
